Humidifier for hot-air furnaces



Oct. 30, 1928.

J. SUBERT ET AL HUMIDIFIER FOR HOT AIR FURNACES Filed July 22, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ewan "w E Oct. 30, 1928.

J. SUBERT ET AL HUMIDIFIER FOR HOT AIR FURNACES Filed July 22, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 9 a lo v a diagram including novel Patented Oct. 30 1928.

g uw'rzv Josiah-simi ar mew sewer, i e we e m eme s mew see ees-e e vmse or humidity the'aintliat is heatedby the furnace for delivery 'to remote areas t o be vhee ed- 4 1 a r Another object of our invention is to provide air humidifying means ivithin the-fun. new i a t c upy n em re v ly sm is kept "moist by an automatically?"controlled Wa er eei ey 'si e s Y further object of the invention resides in novelautomatic means for regulating the flow of Water into thehumidifien V A still further object finds embodiment in the provision of a novel valve for controliingthe flow of the Water into the "humidi- Jfier. i I 7 vide a compact novel li'umidifying unit structural features when rendert'he assembly and installation of same at comparative: low cost. i i r With'these and other pbjects in view, our

invention consists iri the novel combination,

construction and, arrangement of the parts and inembersshown in one preferred embodimentin the accompanying draW1ngs,de-

scnbedin the following specification,' andv particularly outin theappended "claim. a e i r Referring to the illustrations: 11; is Inatic "elevation of hot air furnace', in part section, showing an application of our invention;

unitmbodying our invention; Fig, 3, is a vertical Sectionof seine; i his an enlarged sectiontakenjon line of .Eig. QQShotving a plan view of the inlet valve controlling bucket;

Fig. 5, is an enlarged cross section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 2, showing a planview of the bracket for supporting the humidifier tube, also a plan view of the bracket supporting the pivot for 'the'valve opera-ting links; i

1 enlarged vertical section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2, showing a vertical section of the valve and a vertical section. of the upper end of the humidifier tube; and, V

Fig. 6, 1s an Fig; 7; is a cross seetiontaken on line 7 has special reference to devices (if this char-e tion is to spacebut having a large surface 'areaivhich furnace easing U The humidifier tube 18 is preferably ofcynnanobject ofihe invention to pro- Fig. 2 is a front elevation of e humidifi r ofFig. 6, showing the water distributing plate at the upper end of the humidifier-tuna Referring to the illustrations in detail, "10

designates a hot air furnace having the usual hot air chamber provided between the outer furnace casing 12 and the furnace wall 13. The'humidifier unit is :here shown-in a preferred construct-ion comprising painof angle iron "structural supports '14 connected at their upper and lower ends w thbarslf) and provided intermediate their e'ndsvg i th brackets 16 and 17. The strpctural frame-is adaptedfior s pport on 'theouter' face of the as Lshovvn in Figs. 1 ands.

casting li). The humidifier 'ti1be18 isifilled with granular material such as mallgravel or stenes to provide a comparatively large surface which is kept in a noistenedjc'ondt t on and always exposed to the action of the hotair within th'eclia'mbe'r' l l. Thelovvler end of the humidifier tube I8 is provided bracket 1 I p V The aternlet l9 compr ses a circular casting having a "horizontal inlet passage with a collar 18 to provide a support on the 1 9 and a vertical discharge passage 19 'A i separate distributor plated-9 is'conneotedjto 1 the bottom of the inlet1 9' by means of screws 19 andby means of a pluralit oi-f openings lfiwdisti i'luirtes the water over t e upper surface or the granular material Within the hilmidiiier tube/"The nipple ZOis provided m jl ilhtd pair of threaded ends 20* and "and -with ongitudinal passage 20 The threaded end 20' extends through the upper end time humidifie'iftube into the" inlet" casting thrbugh the outer furnace casing 12 the v uwegai thus providing afsuppor-t for 'the'upper end is screw-mounted into the valve casin 21; A-

reeiprocating cylindrical plunger 21 is pro The valve outlet 21 it Willv'ided' within, the casing 21 and, carries it its, 7

upper or inner end a leather washer 21" which forms a seat for the lower or inner end of the valve plug 21. It will be apparent that when the plunger 21 is pressed upwardly with its washer 21 against the lower end of the plug 21. the discharge passage 21 of the valve will be closed so that no water can enter the humidifier tube. The lower end of the plunger 21 is pivotally connected with a link 25, the lower end of which link is pivotally connccted to the lever arm 26. The lever arm 26 is pivotally mounted on the support 27 which is fixed to the bracket 16. The outer end of the lever arm 26 is pivotally connected with a second link 28 having its lower end pivotally connected to the plate 29. A weight 30 is pivotally supported on the lower end of the plate 29, and the plate 29 is rigidly mounted between the bent portion of the rocker frame 31.

The frame 31 comprises a single bar, the ends of which form pivotal supports for the water bucket 32. A pin 33 extends through the arms of the frame 31 into the angle iron supports 14.

By reference to Fig. 3, it will be observed that the outer furnace casing 12 is provided with a pair of slots 12 for the bracket 17, and with an Opening 12 large enough to permit the insertion and removal of the bucket 32. A suitable closure or gate 3i is provided to cover the opening 12, and the closure 34 is provided with a pair of vcrti -al slots 35 for the arms of the yoke 31.

It will now be readily apparent that we have provided an etlicient humidifier for hot air furnaces. the operation ot which may be briefly described as follows: The ater passing through the inlet valve 21, through the nipple 20, into the inlet casting 1.9, is distributcd by means of the plate .19, and flows through the mass of granular material within the humidifier tube 18, thereby thoroughly moistening the entire mass, and the excess water is permitted to discharge through the conical discharge end of the humidifier tube into the bucket 32. When the bucket 32 is filled to a predetermined level, the weight of the water will tilt the rocker frame or yoke 31 and cause an upward movement of the links 28 and 25 to close the valve 21 by means of the plunger washer 21 engaging or seating against the bottom of the valve plug 21.

As the temperature of the air surroumling, the humidifier tube 18 is increased, the level of the water in the bucket will be gradually lowered due to evaporation, and the valve 21 will be gradually opened to allow more water to flow into the humidifier tube, thus positively maintaining the inner core of the granular material in a moistened condition. At a certain high or maximum temperature. almost all of the water in the bucket 32 will be evaporated and the valve 21 will be practically wide open to continually n'ioistcn the mass, but as the temperature in the hot air chamber 11 lowers, the bucket will receive the excess or uncvaporatcd water from the humidiiier tube and thus gradually close the aim 21. In this manner, the granular material in the humidifier tube is continually maintained in a moistened condition to moisten the air within the furnace chamber 11.

The weight 30 is provided as a counterweight for the bucket 32 and for the purpose of positively maintaining the valve 21 in open position. The weight ol a predetermined quantity of water in the bucket however, is suiiicicnt to overcome the pull of the weight 30 and to close the valve 21.

Ye claim:

A humidifier for hot air furnaces having an outer casing, comprising a vertical tubular container having perforated sides and bottom and granular material within said container, means for mounting said container in an upright position within said outer casing, a water supply outlet at the upper end of said container for depositing water within said container and moistenin; said granular material, a valve for controlling the flow of water through said supply outlet, :1 movably mounted bucket located below and adjacent. to the bottom of said container and adapted to receive the excess oi water passing into and through said container and not retained by said granular material, and means interconnected with said valve and movably mounted bucket for automatically controlling the closing and opening ol said valve and regulate the flow of water within said container and upon said granular material and in the bucket.

In witness whereof we ailix our signatures.

J ()SEF SUBERT. JOSEPH SUBERT. Ja. 

